Intermountain SD40-2

DXI Installation

This was performed by our friends from DCC Xpress installations.
They offer high quality WOWSound installations for a flat rate complete with free return shipping!
You can find them at: www.dxinstalls.com

This installation is for a HO-Scale Intermountain SD40-2 using a TCS WOW121-Diesel Decoder, IB-MB2 with built in Keep Alive®, and INT-SH1 WOWSpeaker Kit.

To start off this install, we must first remove the front and rear couplers and their housings. Once that is complete, the shell will lift off of the chassis.
Do this by holding the fuel tank with one hand and lifting the shell off by pressing up underneath the end platforms with your other hand.

With the shell off, we can now remove the factory light board. First disconnect the wire harnesses from the board.
Once the wire harnesses are loose, the factory light board can easily be unscrewed from the motor mount.
Make sure to hold onto the four screws as they will be used to secure the IB-MB2 back in place.
Next, remove the stock speaker housing. This, along with its screw will not be used.

Now with the factory light board removed, we can now mount and secure the IB-MB2 with the four screws removed earlier.
We can also screw down the INT-SH1 speaker housing kit.
Note: You will also need a JST Speaker Connector (Item # 1660) to connect your speaker to this connectorized motherboard.

The above image shows the IB-MB2 and INT-SH1 mounted with a JST Speaker Connector (Item # 1660) connecting our speaker to the motherboard.
At this time, we also connected our motor and track pick up harnesses as well.

Lastly, we need to attach our lighting harness to the front of the IB-MB2.
With all three main components mounted, we can now close up the locomotive and reinstall the coupler assemblies.
Be sure to be mind full of wire routing and reassembly of the shell as to not damage or foul the installation.
You have now installed a TCS WOW121-Diesel Decoder, IB-MB2, and INT-SH1 WOWSpeaker Kit into your HO-Scale Intermountain SD40-2.

Important Soldering Tip

Please do not use any flux either liquid or paste on the mother board. It will damage it. Use only Rosin core solder approved for electronics use.
We recommend to use only Kester "44" rosin core, SN63PB37, .015" diameter, part number 24-6337-0007.
This can be ordered from Techni-Tool under Techni-Tool part number 488SO157http://www.techni-tool.com

Other solder tips

When stripping wire, only strip a tiny little bit of the insulation. Strip no more then a 1/64 of an inch. When the wire gets tinned with solder, the insulation will shrink back more. Try to not expose any more wire then half the length of the solder pad at most. In no case should solder or exposed wire wire ever be outside the boundary of the the solder pad you are attaching a wire to.Click here for important information on properly Stripping and Tinning wire